Mayor is Uber’s first passenger in Winnipeg

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This article was published 07/07/2020 (2062 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A black Toyota Sienna minivan pulled up to city hall Tuesday morning, with an Uber logo on its front window and the mayor of Winnipeg in the backseat.

Michael van Hemmen, head of city operations for Uber Canada, was behind the wheel. He and Mayor Brian Bowman emerged from the vehicle with face masks on, flashing thumbs-up in celebration of the ride-hailing giant’s long-awaited arrival in Winnipeg.

“Simple message,” Bowman said, standing at an Uber-branded lectern outside city hall. “Winnipeg, your Uber has finally arrived.”

Bowman touted the company, which treats its drivers as contractors rather than employees, as a positive addition to the city, “increasing employment opportunities” and offering more choice in the transportation marketplace.

While other Canadian-owned ride-hailing companies, such as TappCar and Cowboy Taxi, have been operating in Winnipeg for a couple of years, Bowman said Uber is the first major international ride service in the city.

Uber had previously resisted coming to Winnipeg, due to what it called Crown corp. MPI’s restrictive insurance structure.

In some other Canadian cities where the company operates, drivers have unionized, citing labour concerns such as pay below minimum wage, lack of benefits, and a restrictive arbitration process that requires workplace complaints to be heard in the Netherlands.

Uber’s entry into the local marketplace comes as the Winnipeg Community Taxi Association asked council for temporary relief from city fees in response to the industry’s massive revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bowman said the California-headquartered company’s arrival would lead to increased competition and improved service for residents. He and van Hemmen said it would also lead to employment opportunities, as prospective drivers can sign up for flexible work shifts to earn income on demand.

“Ultimately, what Winnipeggers have been demanding, and I’ve been quite public about now for about three years, is they’re looking for choice. And so I think the question should be: what do Winnipeggers want?” the mayor said.

“And they’ll have that option now to use an international brand, as well as the existing brands in the ride-sharing space, as well as the taxi industry and public transportation as well as single-occupancy vehicles and active transportation,” he said.

“All of those choices are what citizens expect in a modern growing city.”

Uber’s arrival was also greeted by MADD Winnipeg president Trevor Ens, who said it provides yet another way to avoid drinking and driving.